Weekly Insights for Thinkers

Harm Principle

By Michael Alan Prestwood

Author and Natural Philosopher

06 Jun 2024
Published 2 years ago.
Updated 2 years ago.

Harm Principle

Cause no harm.
In "On Liberty," pub. 1859.

30 Phil, Chapter 29, Mill, Touchstone 74: Harm Principle.

You’re free to do what you want, as long as you don’t harm others. It delineates between self-regarding and other-regarding actions as a basis for when societal intervention is justified. Self-regarding actions are those that primarily affect the individual who undertakes them. Other-regarding actions have broader social consequences, impacting others. 

The end.
Each tidbit carries its own links and academic citations, allowing claims to be traced back to their original sources without overloading longer essays.
TouchstoneTruth is a living body of work built around single ideas, each explored carefully and revised openly over time.
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